True to his word, the meal Merlin laid out on bamboo placements looked like it was flown in from a third world country. He called to Arthur from the belly of the galley kitchen. "What would you like to drink? We have water, juice-"
"Do you have any beer?"
"Corona ok?"
"It'll do."
He came out with the bottle tucked under his arm and his striped sleeves rolled up to the elbows. As he flopped down in his seat, pouring the amber liquid into a chilled glass, Arthur could make out the ebony lines of a tattoo. The work took up the underside of the left forearm, a realistic black and white rendering of a pair of scissors. "Sorry, no lemon wedges," Merlin said, sliding the drink across the table.
Arthur was hardly expecting lemons let alone a chilled glass. He noticed casually that Merlin only brought out the one beer and nothing for himself. The first sip was bliss as it hit his tongue. Exactly what he had needed six hours ago.
"Do have any food allergies?"
Why bother to ask when you're already dishing a mountain of it on my plate? Arthur thought.
"It's a vegan recipe," Merlin said in between bites. "It calls for chicken stock but I substitute with veggie and add almonds in for protein. The kalamata olives are what give it the extra flavor."
"So what is vegan exactly?" Arthur moaned, poking the grainy creature staring back at him with his fork. "The even more extreme cult of the vegetarian?"
Merlin bit his lip, suspending his fork mid air.
Shit. He'd offended him.
"What would you prefer to eat?" Merlin asked mildly.
"Nothing, it's just-" Arthur searched for a polite excuse. "I'm used to a dinner you need to grill a little, if you know what I mean."
"Like a steak?" Merlin said, raising his eyebrow. "Sorry, I don't keep meat in the house. If you want meat you're going to have to hunt it yourself."
"Then it's a good thing I know my way around a gun when the fifteenth of November rolls around."
"The fifteenth?"
"Deer season," Arthur said, peppering his plate. "And I'm a damn good shot. Got a beautiful 3.5 year old buck last year that weighted in at 180. My dad even had him mounted."
"That's disgusting."
"Trust me, hunting deer is less disgusting than eating this..."
Torches lit behind blue glass eyes, a half smile curling Merlin's full lips. "If you're such a brave sportsman, then certainly you can man up a little and try what I've made?" He mused. "If you did, you might realize it's not as bad as you think."
There was a freshly competitive atmosphere at the table, and Arthur was more than game. "Fine," he said, separating the food into piles with his fork. "I'll eat, but with conditions. I ask you a question, you give me a simple, honest, answer. You do that and I'll take a bite of this stuff. Sound fair?"
"Okay, but I hardly see what's in it for-"
"Are you fucking my girlfriend?"
Merlin froze. Back straight, pale skin bleaching even further. He looked like a still frame in a Tim Burton movie. He took a moment to digest the accusation, flushed a brilliant scarlet and whispered "Of course not."
"It would be stupid of you to lie to me-"
"If you're having issues with Gwen, I'm not the one you should be talking-"
"I just find it odd Merlin, that you're on such friendly terms. Living with her for two months alone without my-"
Merlin slapped his napkin to the table. "I already told you, Gwen and I are just friends," He snapped. "If you're having problems in your relationship then you need to take it up with your girlfriend and keep me out of it. Enjoy your dinner Arthur; order a pizza for all I care. I've lost my appetite."
The front door slammed, leaving Arthur alone in a new apartment, in a new state, in complete silence. He shoveled a bite of lentils into his mouth. It was different. Gritty and foreign to his taste buds, yet there was a potent mingling of flavor. He put his fork down. He wouldn't say he was won over, but to his surprise he didn't hate it.
He found Merlin in the parking lot, hovering over an oil stain next to the rusted shell of a Toyota Camry. He was wrapped up like a cocoon in his black sweater; invisible in the darkness, save for the billowing cloud of his cigarette. He heard Arthur's footsteps, and exhaled a ring of smoke with an annoyed whistle.
"Mind if I join you?" Arthur asked.
"This is my last one," Merlin said, flicking ash to the ground.
"It's fine. I don't smoke."
"They only chew tobacco in Indiana?"
Why was it that the first defense of a Californian was always to attack the Midwest like it was full of backward hicks? "Are vegans even allowed to smoke?" Arthur asked briskly, sliding next to Merlin against the car. "Isn't smoking counter intuitive to the whole being healthy thing?"
"Counter intuitive?" Merlin's voice was all seriousness, but a familiar grin had found its way back to him. "You sound like a business major."
"My father would be pleased to hear that"
"But yes," he agreed, taking another drag. "It's a filthy habit. One I'm supposed to be quitting."
"Then throw it away and stop tonight."
Merlin's gaze struck fast like an arrow to its mark, making Arthur's palms feel uncomfortably moist. They were were unflinching pools. Eyes that didn't pass over what they saw but drank in what were set before them. Giving Arthur the impression that even this mundane conversation held more, and what was most important was that which was still unspoken. He swallowed. "Hey look Merlin, I'm sorry about-"
"It's cool," Merlin said, warmth pulling back into his words. "I get it. It's only natural under the circumstances that you'd be suspicious. I didn't mean to spring it on you; honestly I assumed she would have told you the situation before you arrived."
"You're fine with the arrangement then?"
"Sure. You'll be paying $500 a month? What problem could I have with paying less rent? I spend most of my weeknights in the studio anyway. You'll have plenty of space and when the lease is up at the end of the year you two lovebirds can look for a cozy little nest of your own."
"You're a decent guy," Arthur said, not realizing he'd said it until it was too late. "Would you mind, you know, not mentioning any of this to Gwen?"
Merlin killed his cigarette under his heel. "I won't if you promise not to cook meat on my stove," he said, with a grin. "I don't like the smell of it. If you've got to, use the barbecue outside, ok?"
Arthur nodded as his companion rose to his feet, turning to the moonlit skeleton of the outside gate. "I'm meeting a friend at Aroma Cafe, shouldn't be past midnight," Merlin said, unlocking the gate. "Tell Gwen there's a Tupperware in the fridge for her. I know she'll eat it."
It was a not so subtle dig, thought Arthur. But after how ungracious he had acted today-not entirely undeserved.